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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

WITATE & 'W.'T. JOHNSON. GRAIN AND SEED SEPARATOR AND GRADER.

N0. 290,944. Patented De0.25; 1883.

WITNESSES I 1 I INV'E'JV'I'OR f, 4, W mm J21;

5 mid! .dttorney 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. (No Model.) W. TATE 8v; W. T. JOHNSON.

v v GRAIN AND SEED SEPARATOR AND GRADER. No. 290,944., Patented Dec. 25, 1883.

III

I flaimmw UNirsEn STATES AlENT rrrcn.

\VILLIAM TATE AND \VILEY T. JOHNSON, OF \VINSTON, NORTH CAROLINA.

GRAIN AND SEED SEPARATOR AND eRAoERI SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,944, dated December 25, 1883,

Application filed October 25, 1853. (X model.)

To all whom it may concern: while their inner ends stand close to the fan Be it known that we, WILLIAM TATE and and are connected by cross-bars 2'. At its invWILEY T. JOHNSON GlfiZBIIS of the United ner end this shoe is loosely hung by cars 2", States of America, residing at Winston, in through which project pins from the fan-cas 55 5 the county of Forsyth and State of North ing wall, and at its outer end this shoe is sup- Carolina, have invented certain new and useported by spring-arms j, the upper ends of ful Improvements in Grain and Seed Separawhich are attached to the top of the frame on tors and Graders; and we do hereby declare opposite sides, while their lower ends are atthe following to be a full, clear, and exact detached to the side walls of the shoe, respect- 60 1o scription of the invention, such as will enable ively. The inner surfaces of the walls of this others skilled in the art to which it appershoe are provided with longitudinal grooves, tains to make and use the same. as shown at j, j", j, and j, to receive screens The object of our invention is to improve upon which the grain or seed blown rearward the operation of the grading and separating by the fan may fall at different levels, this 6 devices of seed separators and graders by givexpedient being adopted in order to prevent ing the lower shoe, which carries the grading the lighter grades of grain escaping with screensorsieves,acombinedvertical and longithe chaff from the effect of a strong blast, tudinaljumpingmotion,whichkeepsthoroughwhile at the same time the real chaff is in the 1y agitated the mass of seed and screenings or main carried oif. To this upper shoe a lat- "o chaff passing over said screens, and, further, erally-shaking motion is imparted bynieans to provide for readily regulating the said 1110- of a pitman, it, connected with one of the tion of these screens to suit the condition and cranks of the fan-shaft and also with one arm kind of seed being treated. of a bell-crank lever, Z, pivoted in a-bracket -W'ith this object in view our invention conon one side of the fan-casing, and having its 7 5 sists in certain novel combinations of parts other arm connected by a link, m, with the hereinafter claimed, and which will be read- 1 shoe. Beneath this upper shoe is suspended ily understood from the following particular a lower shoe, N, inclined downward toward description,in connectionwiththe accompanythe front or fan end of the machine. This ing drawings, in which, lower shoe is composed of two side walls, a, 80

o Figurel is a side elevation of our improved having their rear ends suspended by links 0,

machine. Fig. 2 is atop view thereof, and and their front ends pivoted to the down- Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line as m of wardly-projecting arms of bell-crank ,levers' Fig. 2. p, pivoted to the frame of the machine, and

AAindicatea frame, between the two sides having their forwardly-extended arms con- 85. 3 5 of which is supported the fan-casing B, withnected with the fan-shaft cranks by pitmen in which the fan 0 is shown in Fig. 3. The q. The inner surfaces of the walls of this fan-shaft is supported in suitable hearings in lower shoe are each provided with two grooves the side walls of the casing, and projects beor other supports for two screens, R and R, yond said walls on both sides, each projecthaving different grades of meshes. The up- 0 4o ing end of said shaft being provided with a per screen, R, extends to a spout, r, at the crank, d, of slight throw. extreme forward end of the shoe, and inclin- Upon one proj ecting end. of the fan-shaft is ing to one side thereof, while the lower screen, fixedapinion, f, which gears with the cog- R, extends not quite so far forward, and wheel G, mounted in suitable bearings on the terminates in another spout, r, inclining in 5 outside of the fan-casing, and having its shaft the opposite direction from the spout r, so provided with winch'g, this cog-wheel being that the grain delivered from these two the main driver of the machine. screens, respectively, will be discharged in Between the rearwardly-extended walls 0 of opposite directions, and is therefore easy of i the fan-casing is mounted an upper shoe, I, separate collection, and not liable to become too which is composed of two side walls, 2', pro mixed. jecting rearwardly beyond the fancasing, Theaction of the bell-crank levers p is to give the lower shoe and screens R It a combined vertical and longitudinal jumping motion, which rapidly shifts the mass of seed and chaff back and forth, and at the same time keeps it thoroughly loosened up, so that the separation and grading will be expeditious and complete.

Beneath the lower shoe is arranged the stationary screenings-box Y, inclined downward 1y toward the front of the machine, and having an opening, 1, in its bottom, for the dis charge of screenings to the rear of the two spouts of the lower shoe, N. This screeningsbox extends rearwardly beyond the lower shoe in order that it may receive all the screenings passing through the sieves of said shoe.

At the top of the frame and immediately above the inner end of the upper shoe is arranged the fcedhopper S, the bottom walls of which incline downwardly toward each other, the rearward bottom wall, if, being arranged to slide in grooves or guides to or from its opposite wall, and being adjustable by means of a screw-shaft, i which takes 'into a screwthreaded lug projecting from said sliding wall, and is provided with an operating-crank to the rear of its bearings 1/, in an upper crossbar of the frame. By operating this screwshaft, the sliding wall i may be moved to cause an opening of greater or less extent at the bottom of the hopper, as may be desired, so that the feed of the grain may be regulated.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

On rotating the driving-wheel G by means of its winch, rotary motion is imparted to the fanshaft and fan, and at the same time, through the pit-man k and its connected bell-crank and link, a lateral vibrating motion is imparted to the upper shoe. Through the pitman connecting the fan-shaft cranks with the bell-crank levers of the lower shoe a longitudinal and at the same time slightly vertical vibratory motion is imparted to the lower shoe, N. As the grain is fed into the hopper and falls through the opening thereof, it is struck by the blast from the fan and carried rearwardly with the chaff, and while the lighter chaft'is driven out through the rear open end of the shoe the grain will fall upon its sieves. The whole number of four sieves may be used at the same time, if desired, in the upper shoe; but when, from the nature of the grain being treated, it is observed that the chaff is passing off, one sieve may be arranged at the proper level to catch the grain, which will pass downwardly through the sieve or sieves, while the chaff which lodges on said sieve will be shaken up so as to come again under the etlicient action of the blast and be gradually driven off. All the grain which passes through the sieve or sieves oi the upper shoe falls on the upper sieve of the lower shoe, N, and the first grade of said grain, being fuller than the second grade, will be shaken down to the front and passed off through the forward spout, r, while the second grain and screenings will pass through the first sieve, t, and fall onto the lower sieve, R, the screenings passing through the sieve to the screenings-box, while marketable grain is shaken down to the second spout, r, and passes off through said spout in an opposite direction to the first grade.

The efficient separation of the two grades of grain or seed depends very greatly upon the agitation and loosening of the nngradcd mass, and the peculiar motion given to the lower shoe and its sieves effects the object in a highly satisfactory manner, as the range and force of the motion may be regulated to suit any kind or condition of grain or seed, this regulation being effected by shifting the conneetion-pins of the operating-pitmen to such holes in the rearwardly-prqjecting perforated arms of the sl1oe-su] portingbell-crank levers as will give the desired movement.

\Ve are aware that a separator and grader, as shown and described, and having the lower end of the lower shoe of a thrasher and separator, has been suspended bylinks or suspensionrods having arms projecting from points intermediate of their length, and provided with adjusting-holes for making connection with, operating rods or pitmen, and we layno claim to such construction.

Having 110w described our invention and explained the operation thereof, we claim- The combination, with the casing, fan-shalt, fan, and upper vibratory shoe, of the lower shoe provided with the sieves R It, the swing ing arms for supporting said shoe at its upper end, the bell-crank levers p, pivoted at their bends, and having downwardly projecting arms pivoted to the lower shoe, and forwardly-projecting arms provided with adjustingholes, the crank-rods q, crank-wheel f, and gear-wheel G, the whole constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we ailix our signatures in presence 01' two witnesses.

XVILLIAM TATE. \VILEY T. JOHNSON. 'Witnesses:

B. Y. RAYLE, N. S. COOK. 

